Cooking & Culture: Sofrito

From the African roots of Southern soul food to the eating habits of trendsetting millennials, Hormel Foods is covering the dishes and stories behind food heritage through an online video series called Cooking and Culture.

Alejandra Ramos, private chef, recipe developer and food blogger at AlwaysOrderDessert.com, and José Rosario, internal auditor at Jennie-O Turkey Store, joined us for this chapter of Cooking & Culture.

Recipes From
Chef Alejandra

Puerto Rican Sofrito

Hands-On Time

10 minutes

Total Time

10 minutes

Serves

4 cups

1/2cup extra-virgin olive oil

2Spanish onions, chopped

6cloves garlic

1green bell pepper, chopped

2red bell peppers, chopped

1bunch cilantro, washed & trimmed

1bunch parsley, washed & trimmed

4culantro leaves

2large tomatoes, chopped

2tablespoons ground cumin

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

Chef’s note: This condiment made of pureed herbs and aromatics is a staple in many Puerto Rican recipes. Puerto Rican cooks regularly make it in large batches, then freeze in small portions to use throughout the month. This makes more than you’ll need for the rice dish, but will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator, or up to 6 months in the freezer. Use to make other Puerto Rican recipes, or experiment with using it as a base for your favorite soups, as a marinade with chicken or shrimp, or to add flavor to sautéed vegetables and stir-fries. A tablespoon or so thinned with olive oil and vinegar makes for an easy and flavorful salad dressing!

No matter where you are, with the right ingredients you can bring the flavors and smells of home with you.